Scrapbooking and photographing sweet treats and good eats in and around Toronto, bite by bite

Monthly Archives: August 2012

Bakerbots is located at 205 Delaware Ave by Ossington subway station, nearest major intersection being Bloor Street West and Ossington Ave. in Bloorcourt Village. Bakerbots specializes in all things sweet with desserts and baked goods being churned out by the truckload! They are part bakery, part design studio, part ice cream parlour, and full on dessert emporium! Their hours of operation: Tuesday-Thursday, 6pm-10pm (ice cream treats only); Friday, 4pm-11pm; Saturday, 11am-11pm; Sunday, 11am-10pm. You can visit their site HERE. Part II full write-up post coming tomorrow!

I didn’t waste any time, did I? Last week I wrote the 2nd edition of Confessions of a Brunch Obsessed Foodie listing several weekend brunch picks from Leslieville, the land of good food, and *BAM!*, here I am reporting back with a mouthwatering account of The Commissary, one of the three spots I featured in that post. What can I say? I had eating to do errands to run in the east end and The Commissary, with its corner location and big windows facing the street, becknoned me like a little floating magical fairy holding a cupcake. I have to say, I have never pounced on a new discovery so fast. Normally when I find out about a place I’ve never been to, I take a quick photo of it from the outside, “tuck it away” in my mind (or on my computer; these days they might as well be one and the same) and then figure out a good time to make a real visit which often takes me weeks or even months. This time? Within 2 weeks. The menu looked too good to pass up, I wanted to give you all a first-hand look at one of the newer eateries in this part of town, and it just fit into my schedule and my flow of errands. Done and done.

The Commissary, located at Queen Street East and Logan Ave., has only been in business for about half a year but judging from the great crowds, you’d never know it. The place was packed the first time I walked by its front window and door and if you can believe it, I was 2nd in line even before they officially opened their doors for weekend brunch at 10am. It takes a long time for a food business to get its feet wet, especially in a city as food crazy and critical as ours. Trust Torontonians to get into a debate online about cupcakes and it cultural significance! But it truly seems to be thriving in Leslieville because it’s attracting different types of people. You have young-ins, you have girlfriends, you have families with babies, you have the whole kit and caboodle – and everyone is having a great time in a bright, fresh, airy atmosphere.

Now, everyone who writes about The Commissary will discuss the significance of its name – heck, even The Commissary themselves provide definitions of what a commissary is on their website. It’s worth noting though because it really plays into the atmosphere and the feel of the bistro. A commissary can refer to either “a store that sells food and supplies to the personnel or workers in a military post, mining camp, lumber camp, or the like” or “a dining room or cafeteria, especially one in a motion-picture studio”.

In order for the name to make sense, we’re not supposed to take these definitions literally but rather use them to make sense of the surroundings around us and the feelings we have while we’re here. Case in point: the reference to the working class in the first definition speaks to the unpretetnious way food is made here. Read: it’s not fuss and frills. It’s just damn good food and tap water in glass bottles (you have to read what the bottle says, it’ll make you laugh). Even the menu items that scream fancier pants (like my arugula salad with mango salsa and goat cheese crumbles, $5 side) are so simple and fresh and down-to-earth. And the giant side of breakfast potatoes for $3? Soft, starchy, cute, insanely scrumptious, and something straight out of a local greasy spoon diner only not greasy.

Finally, while we foodies aren’t surrounded by red carpets, lights, cameras, and action, you definitely feel like a star dining at a hip and happening hot spot. And it also helps that everyone who passes by will undoubtedly be curious and glance through the windows to take a peek at the hustle and bustle and, you know, your food. Because I sure did! As well, if you take a look at their website, it exudes that old-time Hollywood glamour (I’m looking at you, Fred and Ginger), with black and white photos of old town Toronto and what I’m assuming is old town Leslieville.

The Commissary’s weekend brunch menu is full to bursting with egg breakfasts, breakfast sandwiches, salads, meat mains, vegetarian delights, and plenty of cheesy goodness! The menu is a jack-of-all-trades. Prices range from $7-$12, with breakfast sides coming in at $3-$5.50. Their refreshing salads are available as mains or sides (curried shrimp and melon, caprese, watercress with jicama and Granny Smith apple just to name a few), there are 5 different types of eggs benny including peameal, grilled tomatoes, and applewood smoked bacon and smoked gouda *cue my mouth watering here*, stuffed croissants such as apple compote and brie (OH.MY.GOD) and PB & J, hearty meat dishes (roast beef steak and eggs, lobster and mango salsa, and roast beef and sauteed shrimp surf n’ turf), vegetarian dishes (ratatouille and beans and salsa rancheros), and cheese present in about 3/4 of the dishes. I LOVE IT. I ordered a ridiculous amount of food because I couldn’t walk away knowing I didn’t try a little bit of everything my heart desired and it paid off because it was delicious and I didn’t even feel bogged down afterward.

I was in the mood for some veggies and cheese so I went all out and had their vegetarian pepper and cheese stuffed grilled croissant ($9) with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, and warm, creamy goat cheese, which was served with fruit and a side green salad. You don’t see stuffed croissant breakfast sandwiches much on brunch menus! And then I added a side baby arugula and mango salsa salad with goat cheese crumbles, grilled red onion, and sunflower seeds. And then for good measure I ordered a side of breakfast potatoes for my boyfriend and I to share. I barely had enough room for my camera! It was fabulous vegetarian brunch feast. The grilled croissant was buttery and crispy and savoury with my roasted and sauteed veggies, the goat cheese was abundant, and I would have that baby arugula and mango salsa salad over and over again in a heartbeat, only as a main the next time!

I love how crisp all the flavours were for everything and how bright, casual, and relaxing the whole place was. The space may not be the biggest, but it’s a sweet place with great food and a happy atmosphere; you can’t ask for more.

*****

The Commissary is located at 889 Queen Street East at the southeast corner of Queen and Logan Ave. in Leslieville.

You won’t believe what I did on Saturday. Or maybe you will based on how well you know me and my craziness passion for food! I ran out out of my beloved dips and spreads from Mad Mexican. You know, the ones I purchased during my last visit to Evergreen Brick Works last month. Me, my mum, and my brother gorged on Tw0-Way Jalapeno Black Bean dip and Roasted Tomatillo and Avocado salsa and polished them off in a heartbeat, spreading them on grilled tortillas, dipping samosas, falafel, and chicken nuggets in them, and mixing them into a little bit of rice for that yummy kick of flavour. These dips and spreads are SO, SO delicious and realizing that I had nothing left in my fridge made me so sad.

So against my better judgment, I rushed over to Evergreen Brick Works after noon hour on Saturday for a quickie trip. And I do mean quickie! I caught the shuttle at Broadview station, hopped off at the Brick Works, speed-walked to Mad Mexican’s table at the market, quickly chose 2 dips from what they had left, and caught the next shuttle back, all in a matter of half an hour. In the sweltering heat. Interrupting my day of planned blogging activity. All for dip. I am a nut. But I am happy nut now because now I have a fresh new container of their Roasted Tomatillo and Avocado and a deliciously delightful Chunky Guac! I cursed and whined with every step to the streetcar and shuttle stop in the sticky heat, but I’m so glad I bit the bullet and shoved aside my wussy baby feelings for these guys because it was well worth it. They currently have 6 dips, spreads, and salsas to choose from including a spicy salsa verde, a juicy pico de gallo, and a morita salsa made from dried, smoked morita peppers. They’re $6 a pop with discounted rates available for multiple purchases with their delicious corn chips.

I’ve really relied on the farmers’ market at Evergreen Brick Works to get my fix but after reading over their list of retailers and shops where there products can be found, I’ll most likely check out some of the spots just to see what they have if I don’t happen to have Evergreen market plans on a Saturday. Mad Mexican is always hooked up with Chocosol and Gabriel’s Tortilla Project and Maizal Quesadilla Cafe when they’re at the markets, so it’s triple food fantastic because you get to ogle their Mexican chocolate and drool over and eat their mouthwatering corn tortillas and quesadillas while you’re there! Mad Mexican makes some of my very favourite spreads and dips so if you get the chance, definitely give them a whirl and just be careful when you do, because you’ll never want your kitchen and palate to go without them every again!

*****

Mad Mexican is a Toronto-based business specializing in gourmet Mexican food products. They are located in the west end at 383 Jane Street, just south of Annette Street to the east and Baby Point Rd. to the west (Annette Street turns into Baby Point Rd. at Jane and vice versa). Your best best though is to purchase their products from retailers and farmers’ market if you can’t conveniently access the west end. You can find Mad Mexcian at the Saturday farmers’ market at Evergreen Brick Works from 8am-1pm and their products in a slew of different food shops around the city including Noah’s Natural Foods, Summerhill Market, The Big Carrot, Fresh & Wild, and many more. You can check out the comprehensive list of retailers HERE!

Everyone loves sales. Who doesn’t love a money-saving opportunity? But sometimes, even the all-mighty sale is met with a little bit of sadness. This past weekend I found out to my dismay that my favourite tea shop in the city, Steeped & Infused, was holding a gigantic, blow-out sale because they were packing up shop in Leslieville and moving. Where to? We’re not sure yet. But for those of you who love tea and want to take advantage of a million more “pinkies up!” at half price, Steeped & Infused will still be around at Queen East and Hastings Ave. until September 23rd so mark your calendar, jot it down on a sticky note, do whatever you have to do to remember it so you don’t miss out!

I know for a fact that I’ll be coming back one more time before they move because while it would be the fantastical thing ever if they stayed in downtown Toronto, who knows, the shop might end up in Missausauga. And if it does, I will cry. So I’m crossing my fingers that wherever the new location will be, it’ll still be accessible. Because I love this tea shop and refuse to entertain the thought of not having some of my favourite tea flavours in my life.

This past weekend, I almost had myself a heart attack when I saw their bright red “Moving Sale! 50% Off!” sign in their front window. Partly because I was ecstatic to buy copious amounts of tea at a discounted rate, but also because I almost mistook the sign as an honest-to-goodnss closing as opposed to a move, but thankfully I calmed down long enough to realize it wasn’t actually dooms day. Because if I hadn’t, I think I would have have made quite the spectacle out of myself.

I took some photos of the tea shop and cafe for old times sake to both memorialize a wonderful space that has given me some of the yummiest teas and to show off the shop as a renovated cafe (remember when it was sans the tables, chairs, and treats and instead filled with giftware and tea sets?) with beautiful colours and artwork adorning its walls. All the loose leaf teas are 50% off and because they’re selling out so quickly from the sale, if they no longer have the flavour you want in stock, it’ll most likely come in a future shipment before the shop packs up and moves. If I remember correctly, I was told that their next shipment would be this Wednesday, so definitely plan a trip to the cfae this coming long weekend to snatch some stuff up.

My favourite sample baggies are also on sale for a ridiculous $1 each! I could gush on and on and on about these sample baggies. While their coconut almond rooibos is my true blue favourite, I love trying multiple flavours and the sample baggies allow me (and everyone else) to have SO much fun trying different teas and switching things up based on what my tastebuds feel like. Let me tell you, I was on cloud nine as I splurged on my tea shopping spree. I picked up 5 different loose leaf tea baggies and I can’t wait to drink to my heart’s content! My bladder won’t be too amused about the non-stop tea parties, but my tastebuds sure will!

I picked up a baggie of my favourite coconut almond rooibos, green and white pear cream green tea (this one is also amazing!), green and white mango green tea, Canadian blueberry rooibos, and a strawberry kiwi fruit tisane which smells so heavenly good you want to eat the tea mixture straight out of the tin. 5 teas, $5! In addition, they have some great tea infused chocolate in 3 or 4 tasty flavours and because I just couldn’t pass it up, I picked up a square of milk Belgian chocolate infused with passionfruit green tea and a square of white Belgian chocolate infused with matcha!

If you haven’t paid a visit to Steeped & Infused before, I urge you to do it before they move and if you’re a current fan like me, take advantage and go one last time. I’ll keep everyone updated when I know any more information about where their new location will be, but don’t hesitate to dig for a little info yourself. They’ll be posting updates on their Twitter @steepedinfused and let’s hope that they stay within sipping distance!

*****

Steeped & Infused is located at 1258 Queen Street East in Leslieville, at the corner of Queen Street East and Hastings Ave. The shop and cafe will continue to operate at this location until September 23, 2012 at which time they will be move (new location TBD). They also have a mini location inside a store called Adornments on Queen at 338 Queen Street East. They are open 6 days a week from 11am-7pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, 11am-6pm on Fridays, 10:30am-6pm on Saturdays, and 11:30am-5pm on Sundays. The shop is closed on Mondays. You can visit their website here and follow them on Twitter @steepedinfused.

I knew it was too good to be true. The weather, that is. I was loving the chillier mornings and the moderately warm, sunny days last week. Then the weather decided to pull a fast one on me and scorch my little tooshie again, all the while gloating as I cowered under the sun in my bucket hat, whimpered in the heat, and cursed the buses that didn’t have air conditioning. So, I did what any disenchanted girl would do: in defiance of the nasty weather, I hightailed it over to my favourite local pub for a patio lunch, noshed on my favourite dish, sat under a nice, shaded wooden awning, watched people happily sling back a few beers at neighbouring tables, and walked away with a happy belly full of yummy food. I had myself one of the best lunches this summer and kicked the sweaty, icky, yucky feeling to the curb. Eating at one of my favourite spots in one of my fvaourite neighbourhoods in my neck of the woods always does the trick. Welcome to Jakes on Main Street Unionville!

Jakes is a very classic type of pub establishment with a casual and relaxed atmosphere that’s family-friendly and always hopping with regulars who come out for beers, families who come out with their kids for some good old fashioned kiddie food (you wouldn’t believe how many kids and baby strollers that were there during the hour I was there!), and groups of friends sharing giant plates of food and having a great time. It’s such a popular, well-loved spot and the crowds show it. The patio is constantly packed, there’s always a consistent stream of people filling up the tables when they’ve been vacated, and it doesn’t matter what part of the day it is; Jakes is definitely the place to be if you’re around Main Street Unionville.

Jakes and I go way back. Probably not as far back as many of the locals here who’ve lived in Markham all their life, but far back enough; my first look was back in high school and my first visit was before I even started grad school! It’s my favourite spot on Main Street and my favourite classic pub in Markham. I know that aside from the beer, pubs aren’t necessarily known for their haute cuisine. There are some pub spots in the city that I’ve been to that are totally top-notch with delicious food, but if we’re playing a game of word association here, we know that most people would associate pub fare and bar grub with things like wings, calamari, and nachos and unless they’re spectacular, they’re forgettable to most people.

At Jakes? Call it pub fare, call it bar grub, call it whatever you want because the food here is REALLY, REALLY good! You must be thinking, “how good can it be?”. Trust me, their menu selection and portions speak for themselves. We’re talking 6 types of poutine (butter chicken, pulled pork, and steak and mushroom just to name a few!), 21 different sandwiches, burgers, and wraps (beef dip, smoked salmon club, California club with guac and mango salsa, fish tacos, and more!), pub appetizers (deep fried pickles, crab cakes, coconut shrimp, and bacon wrapped scallops among others), and plenty of mains and entrees including baked chicken, pub pie, goat cheese quesadilla, and spicy chicken and seafood.

Prices are typical of a sit-down pub ($7-$20) and their menu is the same for both lunch and dinner, so you enjoy the goodness during the day or well into the evening. It’s been so long since I’ve been here and while I was sitting at my table waiting for my food to come, I saw countless dishes being brought out to other patrons and I was reminded of how great their food was and how much I dearly missed what I had ordered since it had been so long since my last visit.

My favourite thing to have at Jakes: the halibut melt! One of my ultimate not-healthy, comfort food weaknesses is fish and chips and Jakes halibut melt ($11.99) is a delicious, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth battered halibut fish sandwiched between caramelized onions, melted mozzarella cheese, and grilled bread, served with tangy tarter sauce (I LOVE TARTAR SAUCE!) and either fries, caesar salad, or green salad with your choice of salad dressing. I LOVE fish sandwiches, tacos, and burritos and given how I’ve blogged about the haddock fish burritos and shrimp burritos and quesadillas from Burrito Boyz and the fish tacos from Wish Cafe, I figured it was time to post another one on seafood sandwiches, pub style!

The sandwich is so, so good because the grilled bread is able to hold up to the melted cheese and caramelized onions and give the crunchy halibut fish the support it needs to stay crispy with every bite – no one wants a limp and soggy sandwich! The battered halibut on the inside is moist and flaky and perfectly golden on the outside with a scrumptious buttery warmth to it. I think one of the things I love most about fish and chips is the difference in textures (moist on the inside, crunchy on the outside) and this sandwich is so full of crunch and flavour and the melted mozzarella just adds that extra butteriness to the whole sandwich.

And the tartar sauce! It is so much fun dipping this sandwich into the tartar sauce and having that creamy tangy just whack a few good ones out of the park in your mouth. After awhile though, it gets a little hard trying to dip the sandwich in so I just dip my fork into the sauce and slather it on. And while the salad is just a side to the star of the show, it’s worth noting that the green house salad is great with it baby greens, refreshing cucumber, shredded carrots, and sliced bell peppers. There’s a ton of different dressing options and I chose a honey mustard to go with mine this time around.

Jakes has made changes and additions to their menu over the years and I’m looking forward to coming back more often for some casual pub fare and really good food in fab neighbourhood. After living in Markham for 14 years now, it’s a neighbourhood pub that definitely feels like home.

*****

Jakes Pub & Grille is located at 202 Main Street Unionville in Markham just south of Carlton Rd. on the popular Main Street shopping and dining strip. They’re open 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner with a big patio out front.

You might think of Sundays as quiet, peaceful, lazy days. Many shop owners choose Sunday to have their day off, traffic on the road is a little lighter save for the long weekends, and places aren’t open as late as they are during the rest of the week. At Desmond & Beatrice on Queen Street East in Riverside though, Sundays might as well be the new Friday! *NEWS BULLENTIN* Sundays at D&B are $2 bonanza days! $2 cupcakes, $2 tarts and squares, $2 EVERYTHING! Everything on their edible display counter anyway; no way are we getting away with cute $2 aprons! I have no idea how long D&B has had this promotion (*note to self: ask next time!), but boy does it get people extra kooky-crazy for their delectable, delightful desserts! It sure did that to me. I passed by their bake shop before they had opened, glanced at the front window, and almost got whiplash when I whipped around to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating. $2 Sundays?! No speciality cupcakery with the exception of Dessert Lady in Yorkville, who sells their vanilla and chocolate ones for $2, sells their wares for that price.

And apparently, I was a little late to the party because when I came back when they were open later on in the day, they had been wiped clean! The only thing that greeted me was a dish of peanut butter and banana cupcakes. I should have known better. Sundays might be a little on the quieter side (although you’d never know it taking the bus; it is crowded and packed early in the morning! And by “early”, I mean 9am by bus schedule standards), but so many people are out and about in the city, whether it’s for a festival, a sporting event, a concert, or just good old fashioned weekend brunch. Anyway, lucky for me, D&B had enough sense and hindsight to keep their delicious cupcakes coming and before I knew it, full, fresh, beautiful batches of red velvet, vanilla, and double chocolate were before me, waiting to be chosen like the crown jewel in a treasure chest. And my precious cupcake of choice this time? Double chocolate!

If you can believe it, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting are something I don’t have very often. If you were to go through my eleventy billion cupcake posts on the blog, you’d find less than 5 devoted to chocolate on chocolate. And it’s not because I don’t like chocolate – I love chocolate! It’s simply because I want to paint a more diversified portrait of the cupcake flavours available in the city and now that I have a steady foundation of posts (I believe this post here will be Cupcake Chronicles’ 90th!), I can feature more classic flavours here and there to round things out. This double chocolate cupcake post is inspired and dedicated in part to both my boyfriend and my brother, two chocolate lovers whom I hold very dear to me, and given how my brother can take or leave cupcakes, I’m determined to find him the best of the best to really wow him. And this one right here from Desmond & Beatrice has to belong on everyone’s Top 3 Most Amazing Chocolate Cupcakes because it is out of this world and RIDONKULOUS. Yes, that’s right, ridonkulous.

Chocolate cupcakes are either really great or really bad. Some can fall in the so-so category, but more often than not, they’re love it or hate it. Some are way too dry, too powdery (a little too much of that cocoa powder taste), or too dense to the point where it just tastes like thick, goopy chocolate muck. D&B’s amazing double chocolate delight is what EVERY chocolate cupcake should aspire to be like. I was shocked out of my skirt because I couldn’t believe how damn delicious this was! It is a fudgy, creamy embodiment of a brownie in cupake form. It tastes like chocolate brownie fudge with fluffy cake. It is so moist, so creamy and so decadent. The frosing is as smooth as it gets and eating it with a fork makes you feel like you’re digging into a special chocolate birthday cake with, quite possibly, some of the best chocolate frosting in the world. If you’re head over heels over brownies, this cupcake is the answer to your prayers, in addition to D&B’s crazy $2 Sunday sale! I don’t think anybody needs an incentive to go to D&B, but this promotion sure is a mighty sweet deal so take advantage of it if you’re in the area!

*****

Desmond & Beatrice Bake Shop and Cupcakery is located at 750 Queen Street East, just one block east of Broadview Ave. in the Riverside District. They are open from Tuesday-Sunday (closed Mondays), from 12pm-6pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11am-7pm on Thursdays and Fridays, 10am-5pm on Saturdays, and 11am-5pm on Sundays.

Peanut butter and marshmallow creme waffles, peanut butter and chocolate covered baby pretzels, peanut sauce veggie dip, and peanut butter s’mores – can you handle all the smooth, creamy, crunchy, sweet and savoury peanut butter goodness?! If you’re allergic to nuts, steer clear. If you’re crazy for cute themed menu items, food trucks, and/or peanut butter, this is a dream come true! I was in conniptions when I found out about KRAFT’s Peanut Butter Food Truck cross-country tour 2 months ago. I wrote it down on my calendar. I saved a jpg. image of the food truck. I hemmed and hawwed over what I would get off the menu. And now I’m even more ecstatic after getting the chance to see the adorable food truck up close and in person before its Toronto “debut” at this Saturday’s Buskerfest in St. Lawrence Village!

Now, you’re probably wondering how in the world I got my hands (and tastebuds) on an exclusive TO sneak peek before everybody else. If we’re friends on my personal Facebook, you most likely know the answer to that as I spilled the beans about my happy news several days ago after having kept it for a secret for over 2 months. It’s time to come clean: I WORK AT KRAFT FOODS CANADA!!! I mentioned having my first full-time, permanent job a few weeks ago without specifying where I worked because I wasn’t quite ready to divulge anything, but I feel much more comfortable about it now and am SO excited to share this news with you all!

Without getting too personal or going into too much detail, in a nutshell, I’ve been working at Kraft Foods Canada headquarters here in Toronto for a little over 2 months now and as part of the Kraft Kitchens and consumer relationship marketing team, I manage and maintain a large chunk of the Kraft recipe database (KRL as we like to call it) and am involved in so many different things including the quarterly magazine, What’s Cooking, helping the team with taking test photos of food from recipe development, and of course, being surrounded by food all day long and having recipes come out of my ears! I am happier than I’ve ever been in my life – and this peanut butter food truck made me so happy and giddy I ran out onto the back patio at 11:30am sharp (okay, so I ran out at 11:10 just to get some photos before the crowds showed up. You know you’d do the same if you were me!) where the food truck was stationed just so I could get first dibs on photos and peanut butter goodies! I was thinking about it ALL DAY the day before when I passed by the special bulletin notice tacked up by the elevators. I thought, “oh my god! This is my chance! I can show everyone the truck before it hits Buskerfest!”. So this is your sneak peek, everyone!

It was everything I hoped it would be! Green and cute, emblazened with the famous KRAFT peanut butter teddy bears so many of us have grown up loving since we were tots munching on PBJ sandwiches cut into quarters to fit into our tiny hands. The KRAFT peanut butter food truck has toured across the country all summer long, making stops in Vancouver, Edmonton, Halifax, and Ottawa, before making its final stop here in Toronto. Offering sweet and savoury treats and snacks, the food truck and tour is all about getting KRAFT PB fans creative, excited, and involved in sharing stories, memories, recipes, and creative input! Each stop on the tour has unveiled 2 very special menu items exclusive to the city in addition to the 4 yummies on the menu present at every stop. These 2 special items were selected from a huuuge outpouring of recipes and creations from fans all over Canada sent in through the site (spreadthefeeling.com) and through Facebook.

What’s on the menu? 4 regular items: Peanut Butter Belgain (crunchy peanut butter and Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme sandwiched between two waffles); PB & Pretzels (peanut butter smeared between two chocolate covered baby pretzels); Peanut Butter S’mores (marshmallow creme, smooth peanut butter, and chocolate between two graham crackers); and PB Thai Taster (a veggie dip with a zing of Asian Sesame Dressing mixed with peanut butter to create a yummy dipping sauce!). The 2 special Toronto menu items are the Chips Ahoy PB & J sandwich (peanut butter and jelly chocolate chip cookie sandwich!), and a Bike Ride Masterpiece of bananas, chocolate chips, and peanut butter rolled up in a tortilla for a sweet and creamy, protein-packed snack! Buckle up because the cutest teddy bears to have ever graced food packaging are here in town and are ready and raring to go this Saturday for their downtown Toronto debut at Buskerfest

Ever the indecisive person that I am, I couldn’t decide between the s’mores, the PB & J chocolate chip cookie sandwich, or the PB Belgian. The waffle craving in me won over though and I stuffed my face with two delightful wedges of waffle sandwich with crunchy peanut butter and sweet marshmallow creme. Oh my lord, having this makes me want to run out and buy a mini waffle iron, JUST so I can make this myself! I know, I know, I can always get freezer waffles, but I want to make them from scratch and I can only do that if I have a waffle iron. So I’m in the market for a mini waffle iron! We were told that this one sells out the fastest and I can see why! It’s so cute and yummy and so simple! Heck, we could even do a PB & J waffle sandwich while we’re at it!

And you know what else I think would be awesome? KRAFT teddy bear peanut butter merchandise like stickers and buttons and magnets and stationery and PLUSH! I would sweep them dry. I should totally throw it out to the brand team if it hasn’t already been brought up. I love this food truck so much and I’m so happy I got to get a sneak peek before Saturday. If you’re heading down to Buskerfest or if you’re just in the area (Front St. East and Jarvis and everything in between!), get your peanut butter on and enjoy it because it won’t be around for long. We know how much foodies love food trucks!

*****

For more information on Scotiabank Buskerfust in support of Epilepsy Toronto, click HERE. And go peanut butter crazy on KRAFT’s ‘Spread the Feeling’ site HERE!